За что?

За что? За что?

For what? For what?

These were the words spoken by an older Ukrainian woman (speaking Russian) to an American television reporter about the ongoing destruction of Ukraine and its civilians by an invading Russian army. She explained that she had lost everything -- her home, her belongings, everything she owned. She, and millions like her, have fled the war -- or are attempting to flee despite the fact Russia blew up the rail line that had been taking people to safety in nearby countries. Some 600,000 have been evacuated so far. Men between 16 and 60 years old were forced to stay behind and fight. Some 3,000 men from other countries have gone to Ukraine to take up arms against the invaders.

People around the world are asking the same question: For what is Russia destroying Ukraine, an eastern European country about the size of the state of Texas. Russian president, Vladimir Putin, claims his huge nation (one that spans 17 time zones) doesn't feel safe with Ukraine on its western border. He claims to be protecting Russian-speaking people from genocide inside Ukraine (there has been no genocide in the country since World War II) and to remove a "Nazi" government. Nothing could be further from the truth, as Ukraine, since its escape from the former Soviet Union, has been a free country with a democratically elected government. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is Jewish -- something that would have been impossible under a Nazi regime. And Zelensky‘s native language is — surprise – – Russian!

So does Russia yearn to take over the vast mineral riches or Ukraine? The country does have very rich reserves of coal, iron ore, natural gas, manganese, salt, oil, graphite, sulfur, kaolin, titanium, nickel, magnesium, timber and mercury. That may be part of the issue, but my guess is that the diminutive Putin is trying to reconstitute the former Soviet Union and gain glory for himself.

But the little man has seriously miscalculated the resolve and fighting spirit of Ukrainians. The invasion hasn't gone nearly as quickly as Putin and his band of goons expected. Civilians have joined the fight, using whatever weapons they can get and lining up to learn to make Molotov cocktails. A 40-mile-long caravan of tanks and armored personnel carriers has stalled on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as it ran out of fuel.

I know a woman who lives in Ukraine. She reports that she is frightened, but when I asked whether she planned to leave Ukraine, she said "No, we didn't run. That's my home." 

It is so frustrating to sit on the sidelines, helpless, and unable to do anything to help. I did make a donation to the United Nations World Food Program to help provide food to those inside Ukraine. But really, that’s about all I can do.

May the gods – – which ever one or several in which you believe – – help us all.